Every Prince needs a Prince or Princess
by IchiNukeChuu
Summary: AU. Once upon a time there was a troublesome prince who is good at sewing that believed no girl will ever fall in love him. Until he meets a cross dressing prince with silver hair who vowed himself to get his happy ending. Few love triangles. KanjixSouji
1. Stage 00

This story was inspired by the coolest anime/manga, Kuragehime. Please note that this is also an alternate universe story. I do not own Kuragehime or Persona 4, happy reading.

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><p><em>"Someday Kanji, you'll find your princess. She'll be the most beautiful and loving person you'll ever meet."<em>

_"When you get yourself a woman Kanji, you must be the man of house and do everything to please her. Do everything 110%!"_

_"It's cute."_

Inside of Tatsumi's textile shop, Kanji was preparing an order for the Amagis. To pass his time, he hummed a melody and folded the fabrics neatly into a box. For the past few months, the shop hasn't been getting much business with the exception of the Amagis who are still their loyal customers. Kanji placed the order away into the shelf and sighed heavily at how quiet the place is now. It was quiet until he heard the door's bell chime, a smile formed and he greeted one of his good friends, Yosuke Hanamura, the prince of Junes.

"Hey Kanji. How's business?" Yosuke greeted him with a grin.

"The fish ain't biting I can tell you that. Still aiming for that management promotion at Junes?" Kanji asked lightly.

"You better believe it! But enough about that, dude I got some awesome news."

"You scored yourself a girl?" Kanji asked jokingly.

"I wish, but girls these days are so timid that I probably scare them with my masculinity."

"Uh-huh...So what's this awesome news?" Kanji replied and re-organized the cash register.

"Okay get this! In Okina City, the have a section of newly installed Hostess Bars. Like the ones in those TV shows."

"Really...what's a Hostess Bar?"

"Oh you know, hot babes serving you drinks and if they like you a lot, you can spend time with them or even go on a 'date'. Since we're good buddies, we should go you and me! So how about?"

"Since Yukiko is picking up the order later today, I might not be able to go."

"Oh c'mon, don't be such a party pooper!"

Kanji shook his head, "Maybe next time."

Yosuke sighed, "Alright fine. By the way, how's your mom?"

Kanji lowered his head, "Well, she's doing better. But I'm not sure if she's coming back soon or not."

Yosuke stared at him who was rubbing the back of his neck in a troublesome matter. A few months ago, Kanji's mom went back to her home town to visit his grandmother who has fallen ill. But those weeks turn into months and Kanji had to manage the shop, once his mom comes back. It was good thing that the shop's business wasn't as hectic like the other shops near the textile shop. But it sure is boring and somewhat lonely, something that Kanji didn't feel for a long time, not since his dad's passing. Half an hour passed and Yosuke left the shop, leaving Kanji alone again. He didn't realize until now how spacious the shop is without his mom and his pops. Suddenly, the door's bell chimed, and Kanji was welcomed by a faint scent of citrus and something peppery. She was gorgeous; tall, long platinum silver hair, beautiful eyes, and her outfit consisted of a black turtle neck, black slacks, and high heels.

The woman smiled at Kanji, "Hello...is it alright to look around?"

"O-of course."

The woman look at the displays of lovely patterned fabrics and Kanji couldn't help but watch as she walked and swayed her hips. It reminded him of that one T.V. show Yosuke and him watched at his house. Glamorous models that were into expensive brands and walked gracefully on the runway. Then after five minutes of it, Yosuke changed it to a channel which girls were running around in bikinis. Kanji snapped out of his trance and realized he was inches away from the girl.

"By any chance, is the owner of the textile shop here?" She asked curiously.

"The owner isn't here at this time." Kanji said quietly.

"Ah I see, so are you managing this place by yourself?"

She stared at Kanji who wasn't making eye contact and noticed that his cheeks were turning red.

"Uhm...yes." He said it in a hush tone.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to pry into someone's business." She apologized.

"No! It's not that...I'm just not use to being around-"

'Crap, if I say something stupid she might think of me as a total asshole. Say something Kanji!'

"Let me guess, you're not use to women that look like me?"

She hit the nail on the head harder than any girl that Kanji met. Underneath his tough exterior, was a sensitive person who enjoyed making clothing and stuff animals for kids. But girls that he met during high school wasn't into that sort of thing and he was often ridiculed for being too nice, sensitive, or even feminine. But this glamour girl, she wasn't fazed by a young man with piercings and having a skull tattoo on his arm working at a textile shop. In fact, she was fascinated by his warm aura about him and somewhat understood his pain of being rejected by people.

"May I ask you of your name?" She asked politely.

"Kanji Tatsumi." He said.

"Names Sumiko, Sumiko Seta. Tatsumi-san, is it alright to make an order of that pattern on the wall?"

She pointed at the wall behind Kanji which was unfortunately not for sale. That pattern was made by Kanji's mom, who wanted to use it for a special occasion in her son's life. The pattern was beautiful, white silk with floral imprints that could make someone look like a princess from a story book.

"Sorry, that one is not for sale."

"Ah I see. I guess this fabric will do...wait that wouldn't work on her skin color. Hmm..."

"H-how about I'll pick the fabrics for you and you can pick it up tomorrow."

"Really, that'll be great! But wait, I have plans tomorrow and the day after that I'm busy as well..."

"I can drop it off if you like." Kanji offered with a smile.

"Are you sure? The place is all the way in Okina City and I'll feel bad if you have to go all the way there just to deliver it."

"It'll be a cinch and I'll guarantee you the fabrics I'll pick will make your friend pretty." He replied with a grin.

"If you insist then here's the address to the place and my phone number is on the back of it. Once you call me, I'll be waiting for you at the train station and after that maybe we could have a drink or something."

Kanji was surprised by Sumiko's offer and he was relieved Yosuke left early or he'll probably make himself look like an idiot. Sumiko handed Kanji a pink calling card that smelt like a mixture of citrus and spices. Kanji read the calling card and was a little surprised by what he read. He looked up and noticed the girl had a kind smile on her face. 'Pink Cat' was written on the card and it was located in the shopping district of Okina City. After exchanging goodbyes, Sumiko waved goodbye to Kanji and headed back to Okina City. Once she left, Kanji was busily looking through fabrics and picking the ones that would suit a girl.

'What fabric would suit her?' He thought quietly.

As he rummaged through the cloths, he couldn't stop but imagine Sumiko wearing a gown or a kimono made from the fabric he choose for her friend. Then he heard the phone's answer machine turn on and it was Yukiko Amagi, the daughter that will take over the famous Amagi Inn someday. He was busy picking fabric for someone, he didn't know the phone was ringing which was near the cash register.

"Hello Kanji-san, it's Yukiko. Just want you to know that I can't pick up the package today but I'll pick it up tomorrow. Sorry about the inconvenience!"

He sighed lightly and folded the fabrics neatly into a box. He went in the back of shop and headed into the living room to grab his coat. He turned and noticed an old family photo of himself as a happy kid and his parents at a beach.

_"You're starting to look just like your dad Kanji-kun~ I hope that one day you'll find princess and live happily ever after."_

_"M-mom_ _cut that out!"_

'I'm twenty two years old now...and I'm alone. I wonder if dad thinks of me as a failure for not being the man he wants me to be and I wonder if mom thinks I can't get myself a girl...'

An image of Sumiko appeared in his mind again and that kind smile on her face. Kanji locked up the shop and headed over to the train station. The streets were quiet as usual and two kids who were playing with action figurines ran past him who was reminiscing of his childhood. An hour later, he sat himself on one of the train's benches and noticed two girls in gaudy outfits gossiping and showing off their styled nails. Once the train stopped at its destination, Kanji and those two girls got out of the train. He took out his cellphone and the two girls noticed a cute rabbit key chain dangling on his phone. Before he could exchange glances at them, he turned to the other direction and took out the calling card that Sumiko gave him. Even though he had courage to talk to a stylish girl in his shop, he felt uncomfortable and slightly intimidated by the girls wearing high heels and brand purses.

Someone answered the other line, "Hello this is Elise speaking? How may I help you~"

"U-uhm...can I talk to Sumiko please!" Kanji asked nervously.

"Oh sure deary~ Sumiko-chan someone wants to talk to you!"

Kanji felt his face turn beet red and was breathing heavily which made a few strangers walk away from him quickly and averted eye contact.

He was welcomed by a familiar voice, "Hello this is Sumiko."

"Y-yo it's me, Kanji, I'm here at the train station with the package."

"Good timing! I'm a few blocks away from the station since I had to do some grocery shopping. Wait in front of the station Tatsumi-san, I'll be there soon."

Kanji nodded and stashed his phone away in his jacket. He quietly walked out of the train station's entrance way and was welcomed by the city's lights and sounds. The sun was started to disappear and the skies are changing into a darker color. Before he could actually take in the scenery, he noticed two familiar looking people walking towards the train station. Kanji bolted to the nearest trash can and hid behind it. It was none other than Yosuke and another good friend, Teddie, who also works at Junes as the mascot.

"Argh I can't believe we got ourselves in trouble at one bar." Yosuke said in disappointment.

Teddie smiled, "But they were nice enough to give us drinks."

"That's what they're supposed to do dummy. Well hopefully we could bring Kanji the next time we ever go."

"We should bring Yukiko and Chie also!" Teddie grinned.

"Hmm sounds like a good idea. Not only they have bars for men but they bars for women also."

As the two headed their way to the entrance, a familiar person noticed Kanji hiding behind the trash can and they placed the grocery bags filled with produce on the ground. Beside him was the box of fabric and she noticed his cellphone with a cute key chain on the ground.

"Thank god they didn't see me." Kanji said to himself.

"Who didn't see you Tatsumi-san?"

Kanji's eyes shot open and he was a few inches from the silver haired girl. Sumiko handed over his cellphone to him and the two got up on their feet. Kanji scratched the back of his head and didn't realize she was few inches short. She wasn't wearing the high heels she wore in the textile shop, she was wearing comfortable loafers and was wearing a cream yellow apron with cats imprinted on it.

"Do your feet hurt?" Kanji asked curiously.

"Huh?" Sumiko looked down and noticed she had a band aid on her foot, "Not really, it's my fault of running out the station without looking. But enough about me, thanks for bringing me the package. This will cover everything."

Sumiko handed him the money for the fabrics and walked over to the bags of groceries that need to be taken to somewhere important. Before she could grab the bags, she was stopped by Kanji, few moments later, the two were carrying the plastic bags along with the package. As they walked through the passing crowds of people, the two enter a narrow alley way and were welcomed by glowing neon signs.

"Thanks for helping me carry these bags. I definitely owe you a drink and a meal."

"You don't have to do that you know..." Kanji said and felt his cheeks turn a little red.

Sumiko shook her head, "No I insist after all I'm a hostess and I should serve you."

"Hostess?"

"Here we are! Welcome to Pink Cat Tatsumi-san."

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><p>To be continued in chapter 2. I do not own anything and please review.<p> 


	2. Stage 01

Been a while since I updated my other persona stories. But hopefully I can catch up with them as soon as this one is complete. Another thing about this story, it's not a sure thing but I plan to only do thirteen chapters. Also please note (in case you missed the summary) that this is an alternate universe and main pairing is SoujixKanji (with some love triangles). I do not own Persona 4 and happy reading.

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><p><em>"You're becoming handsome everyday sport!"<em>

_"With those braids, you look really cute."_

"_Whoa..."_ _I thought he was cooler than that..."_

"Urgh my head." Kanji stirred in his sleep and was blinded by morning sun. As he sat himself up on the futon, he was welcomed by a throbbing alcohol induced headache. All he could recall was he was the silver haired girl, Sumiko, offered him a drink for bringing a package of wanted fabrics and helping her carry groceries, after that it was all a blank. Then he realized something, this wasn't his futon nor it was his bedroom, it was somebody else's room. The spicy citrus scent lingered on the futon and the overall atmosphere of this place was simple yet welcoming. Books neatly tucked in the shelves near a desk, a figurine of a robotic soldier on the shelf, a simple T.V., and a calendar on the opposite wall of the futon. Kanji jumped out of bed and before he could find his shoes, someone entered the room.

"Ah you're awake." A familiar but somewhat masculine voice echoed through the room.

'That sounds like Sumiko, did she bring me to her place? I must have been really drunk then...wait a minute, wasn't her voice softer?' Kanji thought.

"I'm ok but how about you Sumiko? You're voice sounds hoarse; you almost sound like a boy."

As Sumiko entered the room with a cup filled with tea, Kanji gawked by the sight which made him fall backwards. The long silver hair, that feminine voice, and the make-up was replaced with short hair, strong silver eyes, and a boyish charm that he could almost be a knight in shining armor. Emotions begin to stir in Kanji's chest; he wasn't sure if he should punch this dude in the face or just book it and run. His whole face turned red and he tried to figure what the hell is going on.

"Y-y-y-you're a dude!" Kanji screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Why of course. I was going to tell you yesterday but you passed out. I didn't want to leave you there, so I brought you to my place which is a few miles away from your shop. You seem red, are you feeling well?"

"T-that's not the point! Why are you wearing girl's clothing in the first place?"

"Because I like dressing up in girls' clothing." He answered with a smile, "And please, you can call me Souji but Sumiko is okay too."

He offered him a cup of tea and Kanji took it from his hands which were incredibly soft. As he took a huge sip of the warm herbal liquid, it soothed away the aches in his head and his mind started to become clear. The refreshing taste of mint leaves was the perfect cure for Kanji's hangover but it didn't recover most of his memory. He remembered bits and pieces of it.

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><p>Inside of Pink Cat, the whole bar was busy satisfying customers and giving them the best time of their life. Ranging from the typical businessmen, guys who wanted a fun time, and a few that made Kanji somewhat curious. A young twenty year old with bob cut red hair and wearing a yellow waitress dress notices Sumiko with Kanji. She walks over to them and bows with a cute smile. This made pierced man blush furiously and Sumiko noticed this and pat him gently on the back to calm his nerves. She wondered if Kanji's problem with women is rooted deeper then she thought.<p>

"Ah Sumiko, glad you came back~ Oh my aren't you a handsome one!" The girl chirped with delight.

Sumiko bluntly introduced the blushing man, "Elise this is Kanji Tatsumi from Inaba. You've spoken to him on the phone a while ago and he's the one who picked out the fabrics for you."

"Oh I see! Thank you so much." She opens the package and smiles widely, "Wow, this is surprising. For a guy with an intimidating look, you sure know your fabric. This will be perfect! Since you here, how about have yourself a drink and Sumiko can be your host."

Kanji noticed Sumiko's eyes open up from Elise's suggestion and she shook her head quickly.

"But what about the kitchen? I was going to help prepare the ingredients for Tony..." Sumiko said with worry.

"No need to worry Sumiko-chan, Martha can take care of that! So c'mon have some fun for today, use Room 777." She said cutely.

Elise dashed away to the entrance of the bar to welcome another set of customers. Before Sumiko could even reject, she gave a diligent bow to Kanji which almost startled him.

She rose up and gave a gentle smile to him, "Tatsumi-san, could you please wait over at the benches. I need to get myself ready before I could treat you."

"Uhm...Uh." Kanji tried to say something but it came out like word vomit.

For a few moments Sumiko looked eyes on him and noticed his facial expression; nervousness. Who could blame him though? It was partly her fault that she didn't tell him the exact location of the place she was working in and not only that in the red light district of all places. There was also another thing she didn't tell him and she wondered if he could handle it or be the other group of people that somewhat rejected her for being 'that' way. But then she noticed another emotion in his eyes; concern...

'Wait...how come I'm thinking that he's worried about me?' She thought to herself.

"Y-you know..." Kanji finally spoke up.

"Hm?"

"You don't need to get yourself dolled up for me...its ok. I mean you look fine the way you are, no need to change yourself." He muttered in one breath.

She blinked a few times and a calm smile formed on her lips. She placed her hands on his shoulder and placed him on the bench. For a fashionable girl that looked somewhat dainty, she had the right amount of strength to put him down on the bench. She stands herself straight and brushed a few strands of her hair away from her face.

"It'll be quick, I promise." She whispered in his ear.

Kanji blushed beet red and Sumiko dashed off into the powder room to get prepared. He looked at the atmosphere which was surrounded by fluorescent pink lights and scent of sweet perfumes and hard alcohol. The surroundings gave off a cute yet a mysterious aura around it, like that cartoon with that pink panther. He noticed a few customers walking off into different lounges and the hostesses clinging on to their arm. It was like seeing the last year of high school flash in his eyes, he remembered a blue haired classmate in his class that he confessed to. Before he could fully remember everything, someone stood in front of him.

"Thank you for waiting Tatsumi-san. I'm Sumiko Seta; I'll be your hostess for tonight." She said in a gentle matter.

He felt the blood rushing to his cheeks and he couldn't help but look at what Sumiko is wearing for him. Comparing the outfits that the other hostesses are working in this bar, her outfit made her stick out like a peacock in a flock of peahens. She was wearing a pale green kimono with a silver dragon pattern on the bottom of the robe. Around her waist was a yellow obi and her hair was tied into two braids. Not only this got Kanji's attention, a few customers gazed at the sight of her, and some of the hostesses didn't look too happy about it.

"Uhm...Uh...You look nice." Kanji murmured nervously.

"You're too sweet. Come, come, let's go shall we?"

She hooked her arms around Kanji and the two walked into a long hallway that lead them to lounges. Some of the rooms were closed, indicating that it's occupied and some of them are being cleaned. The two passed by a room that had cigarette smoke slipping through the cracks of the door. Kanji fanned the smoke away from his face before it could enter his lungs. Two ladies were in front of a room with the number 707 on the door; the two bowed and let the two inside of the lounge. The lounge was very pleasing to the eye. A large aquarium on the wall near a comfy love seat, expensive liquor on the shelves, ambient blue lights, and music that fits the mood of the room. The two ladies outside closed the door leaving the two alone in the lounge. Three minutes later, Kanji sat beside with Sumiko who was pouring him a drink into a crystal class.

"You did say soda right?" Sumiko said with a small grin.

"Mhm. Thank you." Kanji said and didn't make eye contact with her.

"No need to be bashful. Just think of me as someone that you like."

'Think of someone I like...' He thought to himself.

This brought some painful memories and it was about that blue haired classmate back in high school. The pain of being rejected and swallowing the bitter sweetness of heart break. Sumiko noticed the pained expression on his face and she quietly closed her eyes. She knew the bitter taste of the heart break very well also.

"I'm sorry if that brought bad memories for you." She apologized softly.

"N-nah, you shouldn't blame yourself. It's just something that I'm not...well...over with."

"Would you like to tell me about it? Maybe that will make you feel better."

"Uhm...I don't want to sound mean or anything but. How would that make me feel better exactly?" He asked curiously.

She looked up at the ceiling, "Because you're not the only one that felt that way also...Not only that keeping it to yourself isn't quite good for you."

Kanji rose his eyebrow up and Sumiko had a sincere look on her face. He felt his heart flutter quickly and it almost made his eyes water up. Those unwanted feelings and memories that he hid in his heart was trying to come out but he refused to let it spill out fully and wait for his eyes to dry up.

"Well...You see, back when I was a high school student, I didn't fit in very well with others. I like sewing and stuff like that but that's not something guys do. So most girls find my appearance scary but also found my hobby not manly... I got a lot of bad remarks for the remainder of my high school life because of that. Does it bother you that I work at a textile shop and enjoy fabrics?"

"If it bothered me, I would have walked out of shop when I first saw you. You like what you like and you are who you are Tatsumi-san. Nothing can change that."

His eyes opened up a bit from her reply and she poured herself a drink into a small cup. A soft pop song played in the lounge and the blue lighting started to change color. The scent of citrus soothed Kanji's mind and he could almost feel the warmth of Sumiko's body. Deep inside his mind, he felt happy that he got the chance to meet this silvered hair woman and was glad that he got the chance to spend a few hours in the lounge with her. But he wondered if Sumiko felt the same way also and wasn't annoyed by the fact that she's not working in the kitchen.

"So...do you fully work as a hostess?"

"That's not really a question to ask someone who's hosting you Tatsumi-san. But I'll let it slide just don't try asking that to the other girls, they wouldn't like that." She said with a giggle, "Anyways, I mostly work in the kitchen; cooking and all that jazz. I do work as a hostess if all the hostesses' hands are full or if someone requests me."

"Sounds kind of hard if you have to work in the kitchen and someone requests you."

"Not really, I hardly get requests since Elise is the one filtering the customers for 'special reasons'. But seeing that you got me as your host, Elise approved of you."

"Heh, well she did say I'm handsome~" He replied with a grin.

"That and she has a thing of seeing one's true self. She's really a good person and best manager at that. Although, this might be too good of a day." Sumiko muttered to herself.

"Uhm, what do you mean?"

"...Well this hostess club not only satisfy male customers but it satisfy other niches."

"...Niches?"

"You see...I'm really a-"

Suddenly someone slammed the door open and it was a twenty year old female in a blue halter dress and wearing yellow pumps. Her brown hair was kept into a messy bun and she looked very distressed. Sumiko's calm expression turned grim and she stood from her seat.

"What's wrong Kokoro-chan?" She asked in concern.

"Not so good! I'm really sorry for interrupting you and your customer but we have problems at the reservation desk! One of your banned 'regulars' is making a ruckus and Elise is doing all she can to get him kicked out! This is bad really bad!" She said over dramatically.

"Calm down Kokoro-chan, I'll take care of it..."

Before Sumiko leaves the room, Kanji grabs her by the arm and he could feel the tension from her body. She quickly shook off his grasp and bolted out of the room as fast as she could in her kimono. Kokoro was biting her thumb with worry and noticed Kanji was sitting alone on the love seat. When she noticed the scar on his forehead, piercings, and the rebellious expression on his face. She started to shiver with fear and bowed quickly.

"Ah! I'm very sorry!" She apologized quickly. "If you can wait for at least ten minutes, Sumiko will come back and I'll pay off your drinks. Please don't be mad!"

"Huh...I'm sorry I didn't catch that. What's your name again?"

Kokoro tilted her head in defeat, "My name is Kokoro and I've been working here for three months now. I'm sorry I have to snatch Sumiko but she has some 'unfinished' business with this fellow 'regular' from the work district of this city."

"What do you mean 'unfinished'?" He asked in a serious tone.

Kokoro noticed he's glaring daggers at her and she started to sweat, "W-well, Sumiko had this customer for a long time but their relationship didn't last very long. Sumiko ended it with him last month, he didn't take it very well and started to harass everyone especially her. So one day Elise kicked him out and he was put on the black list. But sometimes he comes here just to either harass others or get Sumiko. I can't remember but the day after she broke up with him, she had a few bruises and scratches..."

Kanji rose his eye brow, "That bastard beat her?"

"I-I guess...Uhm...hey where are you going with that champagne bottle?"

"You did say you'll pay my drinks right? I'll take this... Dom Peron thing."

"You mean Dom Perignon! Wait hold up I can't afford that come back here!"

Before she could get her hands on Kanji, he walked through the hallway with a $1,000 dollar champagne bottle and heading towards the entrance of the bar. There he saw Elise wiping some blood off the corner of her lip and a few girls holding her back before she gets herself really injured. Then he noticed Sumiko cornered against the wall and her cheek was red. Right in front of her was an old geezer with crooked teeth and trying to get a feel of her body. Kanji's blood boiled and his body started to take control of him.

"HEY GEEZER!" He got the attention of the old man, "SUCK ON THIS!"

Slam! The bottle cracked into millions of pieces and droplets of shimmering gold liquid splattered all over the floor. Elise ran over to Sumiko to check if she was okay and two other ladies dragged the old geezer out of the bar. Kanji checked over to see if Sumiko was okay and crouched over to her.

"You okay?" He asked in concern.

Sumiko smiled, "I'm alright...thank you."

As he gave her a reassured smile, Elise locked her arms around her neck and smothered her in her chest.

"THANK YOU SO MUCH HANDSOME! YOU SAVED OUR ASSES!"

"Elise-san..."

Elise noticed that the savior isn't moving and she felt something wet on her outfit. She checked to see if he was okay and noticed something red leaking from his nose.

"Quick someone get tissues!"

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><p>That's all for now. See you in chapter three. I do not own Dom Perignon or Persona 4.<p> 


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